ACA Repeal Only Bill Collapses

The Republican plan to vote on a “repeal only” bill after the collapse of the replacement bill has itself collapsed. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (R- AK) declared their opposition to the repealing the Affordable Care Act without a replacement bill. With only 52 Republicans in the Senate, the defection of these three Senators puts them below the 50 votes needed to pass.

“I did not come to Washington to hurt people,” Senator Capito said in a statement. “I cannot vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians.”

President Trump has shifted from repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, and instead “letting it fail.”

“It will be a lot easier,” President Trump said, adding, “We’re not going to own it. I’m not going to own it. I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it. We’ll let Obamacare fail and then the Democrats are going to come to us.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Ky.) insists on moving forward with a repeal vote regardless of if he has the votes to win or now.

“I regret that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failures of Obamacare will not be successful,” said McConnell Tuesday morning on the Senate floor. “That doesn’t mean we should give up. We will now try a different way to bring the American people relief from Obamacare. I think we owe them at least that much.”

Senate Democratic Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer (D – N.Y.) has invited Republicans to do the unthinkable, work with Democrats to create a replacement bill that all sides can agree on, rather than repealing the law entirely.

“It’s like if our health care system was a patient who came in and needed some medicine,” Mr. Schumer said. “The Republicans proposed surgery. The operation was a failure. Now Republicans are proposing a second surgery that will surely kill the patient.”